Mrs. June Stanford Smith, of the Union Grove/Morgan City area, passed away peacefully at home on March 6, 2023, at the age of 96. She was born on June 19, 1926, to Sol Grant (Bud) Stanford and Freddie Odessa Kitchens Stanford. A native of Chattanooga, TN, Mrs. Smith moved to Washington, DC and graduated in 1944 from McKinley Technical High School. She retired after 31 years of Federal service, having worked for the War Department as a teen, Library of Congress/Division for the Blind, US Army Signal Intelligence Division, the White House, various US Army entities in the Pentagon, and ended her career with the Social Security Administration in Gadsden, AL. During her time there, Mrs. Smith was a member of First Baptist Church, Gadsden, AL. After having lived in Gadsden for a number of years, she moved to Union Hill in the late 1980s, and was proud to say that she was the oldest member of New Canaan Baptist Church, Somerville, AL. She enjoyed reading her Bible, listening to sermons, crocheting, playing with grandsons and great-grandsons, and keeping up with technology!
Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her parents, brother Robert Grant Stanford, husband Glenn Thomas Smith, sons-in-law John Rucker Simmons and Samuel Hollis Reaves, Jr., and step-daughter Fredith Jean Smith Davis.
She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Robin Simmons (husband Brian Guckenberger) of Union Grove; grandsons, Jonathan Ellis Simmons (Heather) of Lacey’s Spring, Timothy Grant Simmons of Kelso, WA, and Daniel James Simmons (Maegan) of Lakeland FL; stepdaughter, Charlotte Smith Wilson of Kingsport TN; great-grandsons, Ayden John Simmons, David Rucker Simmons, and Luke Samuel Simmons; and great-granddaughter Ada Elisabeth Schacht. Special friends of “Mama June” include the David Clokey Sr. family, the Earlie Jones family, Mary Jo Williams, Jimmie Swanner, Amy and Danny Slaten, Ricky and Charlotte Allen, Elaine Bowen and members of her Sunday School class.
Visitation for Mrs. Smith will be held at New Canaan Baptist Church, 2204 Union Hill Road, Somerville AL 35670 on March 12, 2023, from 1:30-2:30 pm. Funeral services will be held immediately following, officiated by Bro. Robert Cruise and Bro Kenny Rogers. Burial will be in Duck Springs Cemetery in Attalla, AL. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to New Canaan Baptist Church, Gideons International, and Mountain Ministries, 353 Maranatha Rd, Kelso, WA 98626.
Pallbearers are Jonathan Simmons, Daniel Simmons, Randy Jones, David Clokey Jr., Ricky Allen, Dean Mullis, Danny Slaten, Mark Clark, and Maynard Schmale. Honorary pallbearers are A.Q. Oldacre and Jeff King.
Arab Heritage Memorial Chapel is assisting the family.
